Rio 2016: Usain Bolt cruises in 100m first round

Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt safely negotiated the first round of the Olympic men's 100m yesterday in the first step on his quest for an unprecedented treble

RIO DE JANEIRO: Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt safely negotiated the first round of the Olympic men’s 100m yesterday in the first step on his quest for an unprecedented treble.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica gestures to the crowd after winning the men’s 100m Round 1 in Rio on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images

Bolt, seeking a third consecutive Olympic title in the blue riband event clocked 10.07 seconds at the Olympic stadium.
The 30-year-old world record holder, greeted with acclaim by the large vociferous crowd, will also bid to defend his 200m and 4x100m relay golds for the third time later in the week.

Justin Gatlin too romped into the semi-finals of the 100m as he warmed up for the latest chapter of his rivalry with Usain Bolt.

The 34-year-old 2004 Olympic champion, the fastest man in the world this year, clocked a comfortable 10.01sec to easily win his heat.

Gatlin is aiming to scoe his first victory over Bolt in a major championship having lost to the Jamaican star in the 2012 Olympics and the final of last year's World Championships in Beijing. The semi-finals of the 100m take place today with the final scheduled for 10.25 local time (0125 GMT tomorrow).

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